Das Boot (meaning ‘the boat’) is a German war film, based on a novel by Lothar G. Buchheim, written and directed by Wolfgang Petersen and produced by Ortwin Freyermuth. It was first released in 1981 with a runtime of 145 minutes then was released again as the director’s cut in 1997 with a much longer runtime of 210 minutes. The film was given a budget of $14,000,000 to which most of it was spent on constructing U-boats for both outside and interior filming. It was filmed in Germany, France, the North Sea and the Atlantic Ocean and can be watched in German, English or French, with the additional option of subtitles.
Starring Jürgen Prochnow (the boat’s captain), Herbert Gronemeyer
(Lt. Werner- Correspondent) and Klaus Wennemann (Chief Engineer Fritz Grade), Das
Boot is a war film like no other, covering the genres of action, adventure,
drama and war. The film follows the journey of a German submarine, U-96, in
1941 and gives us an extremely deep insight into the experiences the courageous
Men battled through whilst having constant obstacles and almost impossible
missions being thrown at them time and time again. Shot through the eyes of the
Germans, Das Boot teaches us a valuable lesson that the German soldiers were no
different from the rest, they were equally as brave yet vulnerable so it just
goes to show that there are no winners in war and that war itself is the enemy.
The performances were so believable, it was like the Men were not acting but they were actually there, living the terrifying reality of war and expressing emotions that could only have been felt by those who experienced of traumatizing life of combat at sea. I felt truly connected to every character on the submarine and I was able to sympathize with them greatly; this was reinforced by the long runtime because I was given a chance to get to know the Men and discover how they individually respond to different situations. Every performance stood out for me because each one was as strong as the next and all characters displayed a powerful development especially the captain because his emotions could be told through facial expressions alone, his dialogue just enhanced them.
The themes of suspense, tension, courage, determination and
isolation came naturally to Das Boot, they were not at all forced which added
to the brutal reality of the film. Wolfgang Petersen did a magnificent job of
portraying these themes throughout the film and I constantly found myself at
the edge of my seat, never knowing what was going to happen next.
The cinematography was beyond outstanding, it was absolutely flawless and Josh Vacano (director of photography) could not have done a better job. The handheld, POV shots as the camera dodged its way through the cramped submarine made me feel as if I was there with the Men, I was able to experience the claustrophobic conditions which helped me relate to the characters to an even greater extent. The majority of camera shots were close-ups, such as sweat or tears streaming down somebody’s face, to show the intensity of life on the submarine and to help the audience understand the overwhelming emotions the Men had to face. There are many shots that last for quite a long amount of time and they can really draw you into the film due to them being very meticulous and profound. We are able to see the lighting as the Men on the submarine can see it, visible most of the time but in the case of a severe emergency, dark, mysterious and full of fear, with only a flashlight guiding us. The sound contributed a large amount to the film; there was not much music used but when there was, it was for a specific purpose, either to create panic or relief. During intense action scenes, the sound became very loud and dramatic in order to alarm the audience and allow them to share the feelings of extreme fright. However during tense, quiet scenes, small background noises such as a bolt bouncing off the hull of the submarine are extremely effective because they create a heightened atmosphere in which the audience are anxiously waiting for something dreadful to happen.
Overall, Das Boot was an incredible eye-opener to what life was like on a U-boat during the Second World War. The film had exceptional performances and stunning cinematography, a definite ten out of ten.
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